The Letter
by IR Stars
Summary: My small tribute to Sylvia Anderson who died today. RIP Sylvia. Thunderbirds Does not belong to me. I just enjoy writing about them.
**The Letter**

Lady Penelope walked solemnly into the lounge on Tracy Island, her eyes downcast. She hated being the bearer of bad news. But the news she carried had to be passed on, and passed on to the family herself. In her hands she held a crisp white envelope. She had read its contents earlier herself, and it had shocked and saddened her.

She knew the Tracy's had to be informed, but she did not want to tell them through the video phone as that seemed too impersonal. She needed to inform them herself, face to face. So with Parker's help she had traveled over to Tracy Island, to pass on the envelope and the news it held, into the hands of Jeff Tracy himself.

"Penny" Jeff greeted her as he saw her enter the room. "It's always a pleasure to see you."

"And you to Jeff. Though I'm afraid our meeting is not to be a pleasant one this time. I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news."

Jeff's brow creased. He'd noticed Lady Penelope looked a little sad, as she moved closer to him, and he also noticed the envelope she held. In silence Lady Penelope handed it to him.

In silence he opened the crisp white envelope.

In silence he read it.

Lade Penelope watched as Jeff's skin paled, the light in his eyes dimming before they closed as if in pain, a single tear falling down his cheek. Seeing his sadness Lady Penelope reached out to him, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Jeff." She sympathised, brushing away a tear from her own eye.

Taking a breath, Jeff looked up to the ceiling, pushing back his own tears. He couldn't risk losing his composure, especially in front of his friend. "I, I cannot believe it," He finally spoke, "She was such an influence to the organisation, and a great friend to the family."

Lady Penelope nodded in agreement.

"I must tell the boys."

"Yes Jeff"

"Face to face"

"Of Course"

"Excuse me Penny," Slowly Jeff placed the resealed envelope back on his desk. Moving away from it, Jeff went to stand in front of the portraits of his five sons, all smartly dressed in their International Rescue Uniforms. "Base to all Thunderbirds, Base to all Thunderbirds."

Suddenly the portraits all changed from static images, to moving screens of each of Jeff's sons.

"Thunderbird One receiving, Father," Scott answered first.

"Thunderbird Five receiving strength five, Dad," John followed.

"Thunderbird Two receiving, Father," Virgil responded.

"Dad?" Gordon questioned

"Thunderbird Three receiving, Dad. What's up?" Alan finished the receiving calls.

Jeff took in the sight of his sons, he was so proud of all of them; they had given up so much to be part of International Rescue and were the pride of the organisation. He knew she would have been proud too. "Boys, I'd like you all to make your way back to base as soon as you can. Alan?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"I'd like you to return to Thunderbird Five and bring John home. I'd like you all here at the same time."

John looked surprised at this turn of events.

"F.A.B., Dad," Alan responded, confused himself. He had only just left John behind on board Thunderbird Five and had been making his way back home.

Jeff had paused in speaking; as he watched the confused looks appear on all of his son's faces. Taking a breath he continued.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news to tell you all."

A couple of hours later, all the members of the Tracy family were gathered together in the lounge on Tracy Island. Tin-tin, Kyrano and Brain had joined them also, as they were just as much family as the others were. Jeff stood in the center of the room, the crisp white envelope in his hand, while Lady Penelope and Parker sat behind him, watching in silence.

"What do you think this is all about?" Virgil asked Scott, who was sitting next to him.

"I don't know. But it must be pretty serious for us all to be together like this." Scott looked across the room at his immediate younger brother John, who was sitting opposite him and Virgil, their Grandmother by his side. John was looking back at Scott, looking just as confused and worried as he was feeling.

Jeff cleared his throat making everyone look towards him. "I've asked for you to come together because I've just received a message about one of our most important founding members of International Rescue. Without her work, diligence, tenacity and influence, International Rescue might have been nothing but a dream, and might never have become the success that it did." He paused, wondering how he was going to say the next part, rubbing his fingers along the edge of the crisp white envelope, as he took a breath.

Everyone else in the room held theirs, waiting in nervous silence for him to speak.

"Sylvia Anderson has passed away."

The nervous tension in the room broke as gasps were heard.

"Oh, Jeff!" His mother cried out.

Jeff gave her a solemn glance, before looking at his son beside her. John's head was facing down; Jeff heard a quiet sniff come from him, as a tear fell down his nose and to the floor. Looking round the room to Virgil, he saw his middle son's face contort with emotion as he fought against his own tears filling his eyes. His eldest, Scott, had placed a comforting arm over his younger sibling's shoulders. Rubbing circles into his back to try and comfort him, though Scott himself was staring out in shocked silence. He looked back at Jeff, his eyes asking in thought, 'It cannot be true.' Jeff wished it wasn't. Looking away from his eldest son, he turned to face his youngest sons. Alan was shaking under Gordon's fierce embrace. Both, he knew, would take the news hard, she had been a great friend of theirs.

But she had also been a great friend to other members of the family. Tin-tin was now being comforted by her father, leaning against his shoulder, and Brains was staring out in shock like Scott. He looked like he wanted to say something, his mouth opened and closed, but no sounds came.

Jeff felt he should continue speaking to his heartbroken family. "Lady Penelope was good enough to inform me of Sylvia's passing this morning, and she gave me this letter." Jeff held out the envelope. "It contains messages for each of us."

The occupants of the room now looked towards the crisp white envelope in Jeff's hands.

"I will leave it here for you to read, when each of you are ready." And so Jeff placed the envelope on the table in the center of the room, waiting for the next hand to pick it up and read its contents.

Jeff kept his eyes in the envelope, "We will never forget Sylvia, and we all know that her legacy and contribution to International Rescue will live on in well into the future."

Everyone in the room silently nodded in agreement, until a quiet voice spoke behind him.

"Well said Jeff." Jeff turned to look at Lady Penelope. She grinned at him, though she was sad, and a single tear glistened in her eye. "Well said."


End file.
